In my last blog I
mentioned about a lady named Mama Rita and the 20 orphans that she helps take
care of at her house. We spent over 2 ½ weeks with her and a man named Peter
who has 12 more orphans at his house. About 8 days of that was spent living at Mama Rita’s house. I learned about contentment, serving and
incarnational living with the poor all while getting to know beautiful people
of the Lord.
And although I am
currently in Cape Town, South Africa, the next two or three blogs I do will be
about the life-changing time I had in Mozambique.
So come meet some
beautiful orphans and the people who serve them.
This is Patricia.
She is 7 years old
and is in the 3rd grade.
She has one
biological sister named Anaclesia that is 10 years old and 19 other brothers
and sisters ranging from 2 years old to 21 years old.
She likes singing and
playing with her friends.
Mama Rita had this to
say about her,
“I love the deeds of
Patricia. She doesn’t fight with others. If she wants something, she makes sure
to ask. She is always very kind to visitors and she has a beautiful smile.”
Here is her back story:
When she was 5 years
old, her Father and Mother both found out they had contracted the HIV Aids
virus. They committed suicide by taking poison shortly after they had found
out.
The parents were both
members of the local church Mama Rita and her late husband Ezekiel had founded.
Patricia’s relatives would not accept custody and so Mama Rita took her into
her home.
At first, Patricia
took the death of her parents pretty hard and wouldn’t eat. She was so thin,
she was taken to hospital and they found out she was extremely malnourished.
Eventually she was able to cope with her parents death better after spending
month’s in the loving, Christ centered environment that is Mama Rita’s house.
Now, I want you to walk through a typical day for Patricia.
a.m. She walks there with a few of her brothers and sisters.
Outside the house with the other children and Mom’s just hanging out.
As she plays around
the house, her mom and other mom’s spend most of the day preparing the food.
But even before the
food can be prepared, the maize has to be mashed. And although Patricia is too
young to do this task, the time will come well this one of her daily tasks in
helping prepare the food.
picture doesn’t really do this justice. Doing this is a cardio-vascular workout
few Americans have ever known.
t.v. or toys to occupy her time. She often plays this simple game similar to
jacks except played with rocks. (The
way all the kids hang out and play together is actually a beautiful thing to
witness)
can’t just turn on the faucet because there isn’t one. The water has to be
fetched from this well down the street. Which she and other kids have the
responsibility of doing.
And what does her family do at night? Just what you thought African orphans might do.
Get together to watch their favorite Brazilian soap opera!
with her 2 year old son Martz. She is the mother of 20 children, so I imagine
being in her arms like that is a pretty special privelage.
Night time has come
and Patricia (center with braids) prepares to find her place on the mattresses
along with her 19 brother and sisters.
asleep right away but often can’t until everyone else is finally settled in.
have some video footage of the kids at Mama Rita’s………
Get exited!
